BC Law Advocacy Teams Shine in Tough Competitions

Boston College Law School advocacy teams continue to do well in regional and national competitions.

The Criminal Procedure Moot Court team of Harry Hanson ’15 and Lainey Sullivan ’15 (pictured left, with Professor Bloom) competed against 36 teams from around the country at the National Criminal Procedure Competition, held at the University of San Diego November 8-9. The BC Law team advanced to the quarter final round. The team also won the Best Brief for the Respondent award.

“My students were magnificent,” said Professor Robert Bloom, team advisor. “They worked extremely hard for the past month and a half. They were poised, smart, and articulate. They were great advocates who kept getting better and better.”

Held annually at the University of San Diego School of Law, the National Criminal Procedure Competition brings second- and third-year law student teams together to argue criminal procedure issues before members of the California Bar and state and federal judges. Each team holds four total arguments over two days of competition at the San Diego Superior Courthouse and the University of San Diego campus.

The National Moot Court team (pictured at top) won the Northeast Regional Rounds of the Sixty-Fifth National Moot Court Competition, held in Boston on November 14-16. The team will compete in the National Championship in New York in February. BC Law’s team consisted of Nathaniel Donoghue ’15, Rebecca Mitchell ’15 and Anthony Francomacaro ’15. In addition to advancing to the finals, the team was awarded Best Brief in the region and Mitchell took home the Best Oralist Award.

“Having followed their work and watched their performance over the weekend in four arguments (two as petitioner and two as respondent), I can assure you that they epitomize [the Boston College] motto, ‘Ever to Excel,’” said faculty advisor Thomas Carey in an email to the Law School community.

The National Moot Court Competition, one of the most well-known and longest running moot court competitions in the country, helps students practice their appellate advocacy skills by arguing before prominent members of the profession. The competition draws more than 150 law schools to regional rounds throughout the US. Regional winners advance to the finals, held at the New York City Bar. The competition is sponsored by the New York City Bar and the American College of Trial Lawyers.